Amaya Enters the Fantasy Sport Industry with 'StarsDraft'

Fantasy sports players have reason to celebrate today as Amaya Inc., the well known parent company of PokerStars and Full Tilt, has just opened up access to their newest online gaming website, StarsDraft.com. We know that StarsDraft has been in the works for some time as earlier this August Amaya bought Victiv.com, an Austin based DFS. However, being that the acquisition was so recent, it is a little surprising to see the speed at which Amaya managed to launch their newest platform . Presumably the quick turnaround occurred because of the upcoming NFL season. With so many fans already excited, the new website will probably see great numbers.

StarsDraft.com is a daily fantasy sports betting website that delivers an appealing set of innovations as well as the reliable support and infrastructure one expects of Amaya and its affiliates. Most notable among the offerings available on StarsDraft is the new Bankroll Builder. The Bankroll Builder is a set of games, all free to play, that allow users to participate in practice sessions again a well programmed opponent. The games should help new players build skill and strategy in a risk free environment. The best part, however, is that users can win real money with the Bankroll Builder although play is free. While the prizes top out at $15, it is still a brilliant way to introduce fantasy sports to first timers.

A second big innovation has been added to assist more experienced players, the Victron. The Victron is a player suggestion service. Members using it are show a number of bars with sliders on them. Each bar represents a statistic like passing yards, sacks, or interceptions. Players move the sliders to represent what they consider most important to their fantasy team. The Victron then recommends a customized lineup of players to reflect the stats deemed most important. The algorithm appears to be sound, and the suggestions well researched so expect the Victron to be a real boon if you sign up.

Speaking of signing up, StarsDraft is offering a small bonus to new members in the way of a first time bonus deposit bonus of up to $250. While this certainly isn’t the largest first deposit bonus we’ve seen, it is important to remember that the site is quite new and Amaya will likely wait till the grand opening hype dies down before increasing it. New players also get a few free plays of the aforementioned Bankroll Builder.

While daily fantasy sports is new territory for Amaya, I don’t doubt that they will tackle it (puns) with relative ease. With the strong platform that was Victiv.com and the fiscal support of Amaya’s deep deep pockets, I expect StarsDraft.com to be a big hit.